Overview

Graduate Programs in Political Science at Northeastern University

Graduate training in political science and public administration prepares students to analyze political and social phenomena in rigorous ways and pursue a wide array of careers, from government and academia to the nonprofit and private sectors. The graduate programs in political science and public administration at Northeastern explore the theory and the practice of politics, public policy, and public management in the United States and other countries. In teaching and research, faculty members in the department cover a broad range of topics and issues in the field of political science and public administration. Core areas of inquiry within our department include American studies; democracy, development, and international studies; law and legal issues; public policy; and security studies.

Although it is one of the oldest disciplines, political science is one of the most recently developed social sciences. As a discipline, political science entails the study of the origins, structures, and evolution of governments; the decision-making processes of political institutions; the means by which governments seek to manage conflicts; and the ways in which governments ought to be constituted and function. Political science adopts the scientific, or quantitative, approach when appropriate, yet is also concerned with historical developments, institutional descriptions, political trends, and normative values. In a very real sense, it is a blend of the oldest and newest methodologies and draws on other relevant disciplines to further its research and development.

The research interests of the faculty in political science at Northeastern University are varied and far-reaching. Current scholarly projects include, for example, the politics of language in Quebec and Puerto Rico, the evolution of environmental advocacy in the United States, urban and regional economic development, the politics of abortion, factors in performance of urban schools, mental health policy in the United States and Canada, political development in Egypt, environmental issues in China, presidential disability in the United States, development of civil rights provisions in South Africa and the United Kingdom, the politics of food, the impacts of front-loading on presidential primaries, small arms proliferation in developing countries, telecommunications regulations in The European Union, developments in the U.S. space program since Apollo, politics in Northern Ireland, comparative studies of genocide, political networks, and state and local public finance.

PhD in Political Science

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Political Science serves an audience of students interested in research and policy careers as well as academic positions. Public affairs and public policy are central to the degree, particularly for students interested in American politics. The PhD in Political Science offers students focused options through four fields--comparative politics, international relations, public policy, and American government and politics--that cover key areas in the discipline of political science. The department and its faculty are committed to

providing doctoral students with an excellent educational experience through coursework, comprehensive examinations, and the dissertation.

Master of Arts in Political Science

The Master of Arts Program focuses on the core scholarly areas of political science. Students specialize in one of four concentrations: American government and politics, comparative politics, international relations, or public policy. Courses in the MA program can serve as a foundation for work in a doctoral program or as preparation for a career in government, a nonprofit organization, or the private sector.

Master of Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) at Northeastern is a professional degree preparing students for employment and career advancement in the public and nonprofit sectors. The MPA degree is offered both online and on-campus. Students can take all courses online, all courses on-campus, or a combination of online and on-campus courses (note that international students are not eligible to take all courses online). Admission and course requirements for online and on-campus students are the same. MPA graduates work in local, state, and federal agencies; international institutions; nonprofit organizations; and the private sector. The MPA program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), a status signifying that the program meets the highest standards in curriculum, faculty, and student support for professional public administration graduate programs.